Answering Machine

I thank my God every time I remember you.
-Philippians 1:3

Do your friends always complain you are hard to reach? Do you always need an answering machine at home?

How about when God calls you? Does He always receive the message, "I am sorry that I am not available now, but if you leave a message, I will get back to you AS SOON AS POSSIBLE." ? Do you really get back to Him as soon as possible?

Or once in a while, you may hear God leaving different messages on your answering machine:

"Um.. dear child, I thought we were supposed to meet this morning for devotion... I waited till now and still haven't seen you. I wonder if you have forgotten... I will still be there tomorrow.. see you then."

"Dear child, I just call to say hi... since I have not seen you for a while..."

"Dear child, I know that you are going through rough times recently. I am always here for you. Call me back please."

Look at your answering machine. Look at your heart. Are there any messages beeping? Have you returned your calls yet?

Give Lord Jesus a call -- now!

A Story to Make Us Think

I thank my God every time I remember you.
-Philippians 1:3

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his room-mate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and colour of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every colour of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view ofthe city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Then unexpectedly, a sinister thought entered his mind. Why should the other man alone experience all the pleasures of seeing everything while he himself never got to see anything? It didn't seem fair.

At first thought the man felt ashamed. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and he found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window - that thought, and only that thought, now controlled his life.

Late one night as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running in. In less than five minutes the coughing and choking stopped, along with that the sound of breathing. Now there was only silence-deathly silence.

The following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take it away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue. . . .

You can interpret the story in any way you like. But one moral stands out: There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy.

-- Author Unknown

Prayer Saves A Nation

I thank my God every time I remember you.
-Philippians 1:3

On September 1, 1939, Adolph Hitler launched his attack on Poland. Then, in six short months, his armies rolled practically unopposed through Norway, Denmark, Holland, Luxembourg, and Belgium. In April 1940, he was ready to invade France. The French believed, along with most military experts, that the German advance would be stopped at the French border. Helping the French were more than a quarter-million British soldiers -- nearly the entire defensive force of England.

The French army was routed. 40 days after the German assault began, the Germans had advanced to within 15 miles of ultimate victory, trapping nearly 500,000 French and British troops in the town of Dunkirk. The British parliament was in a panic. If the force at Dunkirk were lost, as seemed inevitable, Britain would be left defenceless. That was the situation on May 23, 1940. 500,000 troops waited at Dunkirk, expecting to be killed or imprisoned by the Germans. But that day in England, the churches, supported by King George VI, their political leaders, and the nation's newspapers, issued a call for a national day of prayer to be held on Sunday, May 26.

24 hours after the call for prayer went out, Adolph Hitler, to the amazement and dismay of his own generals, ordered his armies to halt. Two days later, on May 26, the people of England met to pray. They poured into the churches to plead with God to spare their husbands, sons and fathers at Dunkirk.

At 7:00 p.m., an order was issued to attempt a desperate evacuation of Dunkirk. Anything that could float was sent across the English Channel to rescue as many men as possible. And while the evacuation took place, Hitler's armies remained in place, allowing 336,000 Allied soldiers to be rescued.

To this day, it baffles the historians. Hitler held victory in the palm of his hand, yet he prevented his troops from finishing the job. Many have speculated on why Hitler held his soldiers at bay, but from a military perspective, none make any sense. But there is, in light of the Word of God, a very plausible explanation. In response to the prayers of a nation, the same God who parted the Red Sea and stopped the mouths of lions halted the armies of Hitler.

Many historians see Dunkirk as the turning point of World War II. Hitler never regained his momentum. And if Dunkirk was the turning point of the war, then the outcome of World War II was not ultimately determined by the entrance of the United States into the war or Hitler's foolish attack on Russia. Hitler's defeat began when thousands of men and women fell to their knees before an Almighty God and asked Him to save their nation.

~unknown~

Power of Prayer

I thank my God every time I remember you.
-Philippians 1:3

Here's a message that will bring you chills. Have you ever felt the urge to pray for someone and then just put it on a list and said, "I'll pray for them later?" Or has anyone ever called you and said, "I need you to pray for me, I have this need."

A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home church in Michigan..... "While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every two weeks I travelled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies.

This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point. On one of these journeys, I arrived in the city where I planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine and supplies, and then begin my two-day journey back to the field hospital.

Upon arrival in the city, I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time talked to him about the Lord. I then travelled two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident.

Two weeks later I repeated my journey. Upon arriving in the city, I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines. He said, 'Some friends and I followed you into the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. But just as we were about to move into your camp, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards. At this, I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone in that jungle campsite. The young man pressed the point, however, and said, 'No sir, I was not the only person to see the guards. My five friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone.

"At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day this happened.

The missionary told the congregation the date, and the man who interrupted told him this story:

"On the night of your incident in Africa, it was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf. I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong, I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?" The men who had met together to pray that day stood up. The missionary wasn't concerned with who they were, he was too busy counting how many men he saw. There were 26.

This story is an incredible example of how the Spirit of the Lord moves in mysterious ways. If you ever hear such prodding, go along with it. Nothing is ever hurt by prayer except the gates of hell.

Piano...A Moving Story

I thank my God every time I remember you.
-Philippians 1:3

At the prodding of my friends, I am writing this story. My name is Mildred Hondorf. I am a former elementary school music teacher from Des Moines, Iowa. I've always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons-something I've done for over 30 years.

Over the years I found that children have many levels of musical ability. I've never had the pleasure of having a prodigy though I have taught some talented students. However I've also had my share of what I call "musically challenged" pupils. One such student was Robby. Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys!) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby. But Bobby said that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano. So I took him as a student.

Well, Robby began with his piano lessons and from the beginning I thought it was a hopeless endeavour. As much as Robby tried, he lacked the sense of tone and basic rhythm needed to excel. But he dutifully reviewed his scales and some elementary pieces that I require all my students to learn.

Over the months he tried and tried while I listened and cringed and tried to encourage him. At the end of each weekly lesson he'd always say, "My mom's going to hear me play some day." But it seemed hopeless. He just did not have any inborn ability. I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled but never stopped in.

Then one day Robby stopped coming to our lessons. I thought about calling him but assumed because of his lack of ability, that he had decided to pursue something else. I also was glad that he stopped coming. He was a bad advertisement for my teaching!

Several weeks later I mailed to the student's homes a flyer on the upcoming recital. To my surprise Robby (who received a flyer) asked me if he could be in the recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and because he had dropped out he really did not qualify. He said that his mother had been sick and unable to take him to piano lessons but he was still practicing. "Miss Hondorf . .I've just got to play!" he insisted.

I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital. Maybe it was his persistence or maybe it was something inside of me saying that it would be all right.

The night for the recital came. The high school gymnasium was packed with parents, friends and relatives. I put Robby up last in the program before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he would do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my "curtain closer."

Well the recital went off without a hitch. The students had been practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked like he'd run an egg-beater through it. "Why didn't he dress up like the other students?" I thought. "Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?"

Robby pulled out the piano bench and he began. I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen Mozart's Concerto #21 in C Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo... from allegro to virtuoso. His suspended chords that Mozart demands were magnificent! Never had I heard Mozart played so well by people of his age.

After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescendo and everyone was on their feet in wild applause. Overcome and in tears I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in joy. "I've never heard you play like that Robby! How'd you do it? " Through the microphone Robby explained:"Well Miss Hondorf . . . remember I told you my mom was sick? Well, actually she had cancer and passed away this morning. And well .. she was born deaf so tonight was the first time she ever heard me play. I wanted to make it special."

There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening. As the people from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed into foster care, I noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy and I thought to myself how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil. No, I've never had a prodigy but that night I became a prodigy. . of Robby's. He was the teacher and I was the pupil. For it is he who taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing in yourself and maybe even taking a chance in someone and you don't know why.

Robby was killed in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April of 1995.

Hello people, I'm very touched by this article my friend forwarded to me. I've learnt a number of things from here. Pray that you will learnt something too. Yes, it taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing that you can make it as God made you special in every way. JIA YOU!!! =)

A Train Story

I thank my God every time I remember you.
-Philippians 1:3

There was once a bridge that spanned a large river. During most of the day, the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river, parallel with the banks, allowing ships to pass through freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train would come along and the bridge could be turned sideways across the river, allowing the train to cross it. A switchman sat in a shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed.

Then, coming across the bridge from the direction of his control shack, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. "Daddy, where are you?" his four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first impulse was to cry out to the child, "Run! Run!" But the train was too close; the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time. The man almost left his lever to snatch up his son and carry him to safety. But he realized that he could not get back to the lever in time if he saved his son. Either many people on the train - or his own son - must die. He took but a moment to make his decision. The train sped safely and swiftly on its way, and no one aboard was even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the onrushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of the sobbing man, still clinging to the locking lever long after the train had passed. They did not see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked; to tell his wife how their son had brutally died.

Now, if you comprehend the emotions that went through this man's heart, you can begin to understand the feelings of Our Father in Heaven when He sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life. Can there be any wonder that he caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His Son died? How does He feel when we speed along through life without giving a thought to what was done for us through Jesus Christ?

Hello, people! It's another year now! 2005! Have been very busy these days. No time to update my blog. Pray that you and I will keep counting God's blessings and stop grumbling. =P Haha... God loves us very very much. Live our lives to the fullest to fulfill His purpose for us here on earth. We are meant to be created to please God. Yeah! What a priviledge is to become God's children. =)

A New Year is Here!

I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers.
-Philemon 1:4

Hello, people! Greetings to you!

It's another year now! 2005! Have been very busy these days. No time to update my blog but thank God that I manage to squeeze out some time from the little free time I have to bless everyone of us through this blog. Pray that you and I will keep counting God's blessings and stop grumbling. =P

God loves us very very much. Let's live our lives to the fullest to fulfill His purpose for us here on earth. We are meant to be created to please God. Yeah! What a priviledge is to become God's children. =)

Haha...I've just changed my verse for the year. Ya, I hope to remember all of you in my prayers and I always thank God for each and everyone of you to add joy into my life. May God bless all of you in this year. Perhaps the world is coming to an end... I don't know when... but look at the disasters happened around us, it almost fit into the descriptions in the book of Revelations. Let us ponder over this, and ask ourselves what would we do if the world is going to an end... what do we wish to hear from Jesus when we see Him?

Well, I hope that Jesus will smile and tell me, "Well done, my beloved child. I'm so proud of you." What do we want Jesus to be proud of us? Hmm... I'm still thinking. I want to be like Mary as well as Martha, to be faithful to His calling. I just love to listen to God's still little voice. I can do nothing to please Him except by being obedient to Him. Life will be meaningless without purpose, and God's purpose for us in life is very important. He deserved all the glory and honour because He created the world. Even the mountains and the seas tremble when God is there. =0

I will continue to update my articles on this blog so that it can be an inspiration and blessing to all of us. God bless! Emmanual! =)